a last-minute california road trip is good for:

lots of singing in the car. many trips to c'est si bon (bless those chocolate croissants). floppy hats. pink peonies. mani/pedis. reading on the beach. awkward sunburns. shopping. ferris wheels. a farewell (but also the opposite of that).

stories from the best pair of sisters I've ever met (my sweet grandma and my aunt shirley). more shopping. mexican cokes. ortega burgers. gooood food. balboa island. the ferry. and lots of phone pictures.

newport, newport, newport, we love you :) 

 

 

 

 

daddio.

I talk about this guy a lot on here. Like here. and here. and here. 

And the reason I do it is because I'm convinced he's the

 I just can't help myself.

He's one of the few that read my blog. 

And he's one of those things that I am grateful for every single day.

 

I love everything about him. I love how excited he gets about things. And I love how genuinely he cares about people. 

He passed a lot of that goodness on to all three of my brothers. 

Two of them now have boys of their own to keep that goodness going. 

How lucky am I to know such great men??

It makes days like these really worth celebrating. 

happy fathers day!

a love letter.

Dear Mom,

There are too many reasons why I love you. And around 78394765 reasons why you are such an incredible mom. I feel like I really lucked out in life, because I have you. You're my best friend and most of the time, I'd rather hang out with you than anyone else.

I must admit I really do love it when you come to my bathroom door at the end of the night begging for details. And how you will drive me to McDonalds past midnight when my (dramatic) life calls for a coke and chicken nuggets.

Thanks for not always saying "I told you so" even though you really, always, were and are right.

I know I can count on you (without fail) to check for earrings, lipgloss, and to make sure I smell good. And I really, really like knowing that you care. Even about the small stuff.

You're wonderful, and I hope you know that.
Love always,

Molly Jane

PS Hurry and come to Texas, I need help with my laundry. (JOKE)

three left.

I procrastinate like nobody's business (hence...the blogpost)
I still have three finals left.
BUT once I'm finished with them...

I'll be saying hello to 

21

Goodbye to this guy

and I'll see you soon to these Texans

Let's not forget my giant pile of summer reading.
I. Can't. Wait. (for everything except for saying goodbye to the elder)

nineteen is a good age.

He's officially old enough to take that call he's been given.

(The one I listened to him open at four in the morning while crying in the lobby of a Roman hostel)

In just over a month he'll be on his way to

learning Spanish

living in Guatemala

with the Guatemalans

teaching them life-changing truths

and making the people fall in love with him.

He's the sweetest brother a girl could ask for.

He teaches me kindness. And that it's okay to lighten up sometimes. 

Happy Birthday Big Al!

I sure do love you.

six years ago today

I found out I had appendicitis.
(reluctantly...I was in a great deal of pain, but my mom didn't want me to go to the doctor if it wasn't a big deal...she was willing if I was sure it was serious...which of course I wasn't  because I am never sure.)

I went to Dr. Mitch.
He poked me (particularly right on top of the parts that hurt)
(which made them hurt worse)
He hit the bottom of my foot (which again forced pain into the parts that already hurt)
He said things.
Things I don't really remember, except
I am 99.9% sure you have appendicitis. 
Go to the emergency room. Right away. 
If I'm right, you'll need to have it removed.


My mom drove me (in her red bug) to the ER.
We didn't say much...other than,
"Good thing we came to the doctor?"

Indeed.

I remember the lady asking me to number my pain.
Which was far too much pressure for my anxiety-filled mind.
What if I say the wrong number? What if they don't believe me?


When I had a moment to think,
I cried.
And my mom let me cry.


They ran more tests on me.
He was .1% unsure (which meant more tests)
They were uncomfortable (the kind that make me cringe)

I waited.
My brother and dad came before the surgery
(the surgery they knew for sure I now needed)
And they placed their hands on my head.

I cried then too.

My mom was by my side the whole time.
As they poked me with needles and questioned me and told me things.
She walked me down the same hallway that she had taken my grandpa 8 years before (almost to the day)
The same hallway that took him,
but didn't bring him back.

When I awoke they were there.
My mom. And my dad.
With smiles.

It may not seem like anything of importance to anyone else.
Routine surgery.
I know there are far worse things.
But I was 14.
And I was scared.

When I look back on it.

Sometimes I still cry. 

Not because it was a huge deal, 

Not because it was really that significant,

but because it is (almost) tangible evidence of the family that has changed my life.  

The family that makes me eternally grateful,

That my mom will never leave my side (even if she isn't phsyically with me)

That both my dad and my brother can bless me (in more ways than one)

That I get to be related to some of the most Christ-like people I know.

The reason behind this ridiculously long post (which I apologize for)...is the realization (a long time coming) that, I am one blessed girl. And I have the family to prove it.

miracles.

A few months ago I started reading Peace Like a River and on the third page of the book I read a few paragraphs that just stuck with me from the moment I saw them. I haven't been able to get the words out of my mind. I fell in love with them a little bit. (Sadly, I haven't had time to read more than a few chapter out of this book...) I have been needing to share it. So, please read.

"Let me say something about that word: miracle. For too long it's been used to characterize things or events that, though pleasant, are entirely normal. Peeping chicks at Easter time, spring generally, a clear sunrise after an overcast week--a miracle, people say, as if they've been educated from greeting cards. I'm sorry, but nope. Such things are worth our notice every day of the week, but to call them miracles evaporates the strength of the word.

Real miracles bother people, like strange sudden pains unknown in medical literature. It's true: They rebut every rule all we good citizens take comfort in. Lazarus obeying orders and climbing up out of the grave--now there's a miracle, and you can bet it upset a lot of folks who were standing around at the time. When a person dies, the earth is generally unwilling to cough him back up. A miracle contradicts the will of earth.

...People fear miracles because they fear being changed--though ignoring them will change you also...No miracle happens without a witness. Someone to declare, Here's what I saw. Here's how it went. Make of it what you will."

I like that this quote mentions Lazarus. His story happens to be my favorite miracle in the New Testament. I love Christ's compassion. The love he has for Mary and Martha. For Lazarus. He cares deeply for the situation and you can tell how much it hurts seeing his friends have to go through such pain. It's beautiful.

I have always been fascinated by miracles. The beauty of them. The sacredness of them. The way they are rare and humbling and divine. I think part of this may have to do with the struggle of my birth. I always loved it when my mom told the story when I was younger. I wasn't breathing when I came out. Extremely sick, saved by a man who just happened to be at the hospital at two in the morning and who just happened to see the emergency call for help (whatever the special light/code is at the hospital). He was the specific doctor I needed. He had the kind of skills that would rescue me.
In the story my mom tells, she never forgets the prayers that were said.

And how the nurses dubbed me Miracle Molly. Because, my life truly was a miracle.

Had the circumstances been slightly different in one way or another, I would not have made it.

I'm lucky. No. I'm blessed. To have a mom who tells me stories like this. Who points out the important parts of life. And who sees Heavenly Father in everything.

I adore the fact that the quote above talks about miracles in such a different way.

Fear of change. 


Make of it what you will. 

dad.

A long time ago, I remember waking up in the middle of the night and becoming amazingly upset. I had had some nightmare that caused me to really think about life and how, without any say on my part, it could just end at any time. Death and loss gave me a feeling of discomfort (as it does most people, I believe). I hated that feeling...the thought of everything ending. Life over. Possibly being alone forever.

I had always been taught at church that our families are forever, life doesn't end with death. One of the great things about this being that we will never be alone. 

But I have an imagination...and I (without control) think every possible situation through to the core...so I could not help but think about what it might be like if forever consisted of nothing. Darkness. No one but yourself. Completely alone.

These thoughts scared me to the point of breathlessness.

As the thoughts grew in my mind I began to cry and tumble into a worried mess.
(My preteen self was completely unable to handle this type of self-inflicted stress)

And somehow, through all of my anxiety, my dad ended up right next to me. He sat me up in my bed, automatically trying to fix the pain I had caused myself.

His comfort was immediate.

He reassured me with something similar to this,
no matter what happens in life (or outside of it), I will always have prayer.
And because of that reason, that truth,
I will never be alone.

(side note* the reason for the emphasis on being alone...my biggest fear has always been a fear of being alone in life)

Of course, I can't remember his exact words, or all of the wisdom that he shared with me.
But I remember the feeling I got from my father that night.
I knew that no matter what happened in my life that he would love me.
That he knew that I was a daughter of God and regardless of
the stresses, the worries, or the hardships of life...
he would do everything in his power to make sure I am alright.
To make sure that I know how much I am loved
To make sure that I know how deeply he cares for me.
To make sure that I know how life is hard, but it's always, completely worth it.
And the knowledge I gained, knowing my dad would be a constant in my life, changed my world forever.

I'm sure he does not remember that specific night. And I'm also sure there has been many moments like it since then. He's always been that way with me...a shoulder to cry on, someone to reassure me that everything will be okay, a person to trust with all that I have.

And for that I am so grateful.

Thanks daddy, for everything that you are. For being my go-to for all the times I need someone. Thanks for being patient with me. For never letting me settle.

And thanks for reading my blog :)
You are truly one of the best parts of my life.
I'm glad you were born. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

I believe that you are...

...and always will be...my little princess.

"I am a princess. All girls are. Even if

they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young. They're still princesses. All of us. Didn't your father ever tell you that? Didn't he?"

Sara Crewe {A Little Princess}

Thanks for always letting me feel like a princess Daddy.

happy father's day

to all you daddy's out there.

especially you

and you

I'm grateful for all the father's in my life

I love you!

Oh baby.

I love, love, love this picture.

Beckham Todd Moon is the newest member of the Moon family. And quite the studmuffin he is.


JUNE 9, 2010
9:56am
8 lbs 4 ounces
20 inches


Welcome to earth baby boy!
So many people already love you
more than you know.



"It's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


I am grateful for this little one.

forever yours. faithfully.

I kind of wanted to cry last night as I watched the season finale of Glee.

Chills. WOW. Faithfully (favorite journey song. ever.) WOW.

To Sir With Love. WOW. Somewhere Over the Rainbow. WOW.

Quinn had her baby.

(best line of the night...Quinn: (to Puck, while in labor) you suck, you suck, you suck!) hahahah.

VERY appropriate.

My dear sister-in-law is pushing out a baby right NOW.

Literally...pushing.

Baby Beckham is comingggggg.

My brother is gonna be a DADDY.

and here I am...holding down the fort (at the hospital) because the rest of my family deserted me...

But's it's OKAY because we get to talk through SKYPE.

Which I decided is basically soooo awesome.

I also decided that my nephew Brit is too cute for his own good.

He and his cousin will be exactly 10 months apart! (august 9th and june 9th)

AHHHHH.

I'm excited.

REALLY.

Sooo excited. And I just can't hide it.

I can't get enough of this song.

again,

WOW.

It is the epitome of awesome.

PEACE. LOVE. BABIES. and JOURNEY.

biggie smalls knew what he was talkin' about.

I would just like everyone to enjoy the text conversation my mom and I just had...

mom: Lives of the rich and famous...just did lunch, traveled in a Lexus and now sunning by the pool...I could get used to this! :)
me: Hahahah! The good life. You were made for that :) you crack me up.
mom: It could be yours, marry right. haha

(I'm pretty sure she only added the "haha" so I wouldn't get mad)

Ohh if only I were the type of girl who married men for their money. That would make it easier, right? You wouldn't actually have to like them...just as long as they have money, you're good!


I think I'd like to turn the time over to Notorious B.I.G. to help with my rebuttal to my mother's adivce:

mo' money, mo' problems.


I love my mama and I hate money.
the end.
hahahahahahahahah.

he did it.

{side note}

I decided that if I were to EVER give a graduation talk...I would not quote Dr. Suess (even though I love him so) and I would try very hard to stay away from the words success, jouney (unless I talked about the band), and anything else that you hear in every single graduation talk ever known to man.

There has got to be another take on this whole graduation business.

I'm just sayin'.

Congrats Alex!!!
I can't wait for our adventures to come (as adults and whatnot).
I'm expecting more late night mcD runs and good talks and concerts and dance parties and singin' our hearts out and road trips (it's been too long since we last did this) and laughing (lots and lots of laughing).

LOVES YOU MUCHO.

no way.

It's grajiation time!

Wow.
My mama's fifth child will graduate from Timpview High School tomorrow.

He's probably the coolest yet (studliest for sure).

And I don't know anyone that can make me laugh harder than he does.
Anyone ever need some comic relief? Call him. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Plus, he has some sweet moves.

(the pictures are mostly for my enjoyment)

Time flies when you're havin' fun eh?

my best friend.

It is probably unoriginal to say that I have the best mom in the world, but it’s hard to describe her any other way.

She has strength beyond comprehension.

She always wears a loving smile regardless of the heartaches she may be feeling inside.

She is the kind of person that is difficult not to love.

She’s given everything she has to her family and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Even if I don’t show it, I am incredibly grateful for you Mom

So, THANK YOU

For all the love

For the constant support (you were always there at my tennis matches, my choir concerts, basically anything related to me)

For making me feel beautiful (inside and out) (even when I was so convinced guys would never like me due the fact I wasn’t blonde or brunette)

For being understanding (through my stupid mistakes)

For showing me the way (a disciple of Christ in everything you do)

For being a part of my life (and yes, you have always been a “cool” mom—ALL my friends would agree)

For teaching me that nice matters (because it really, really does)

For talking to me til three in the morning about everything and anything related to life

For letting me be your friend

For being ten times more fun than I could ever be

For being you (you do that oh so well)

For never letting me forget my lipgloss…or earrings…or accessories… :)

For letting me constantly ask you for fashion advice (I would be lost without you)

For all the road trips

And for showing me what it’s like to be a daughter of God

I love it when people tell me I look like you

And when they tell me how great you are (it happens all the time)

I’m so blessed to have you as my mama. Thanks for bringing me into your life!

For a fantastic talk on Mothers that I think EVERYONE should read...go HERE. And give some love to my beautiful friend McKenzie. I had the privilege of seeing her give it. (made me so proud :)

cinco de mayo.

I learned from Wikipedia that:

The atomic number for Cobalt is 27.
The New York Yankees have won the world series 27 times.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed 27 concerti for piano and orchestra.
There are 27 letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
The planet Uranus has 27 moons.

There are a total number of 27 books in the New Testament.

Wanna know what else is 27?

JACOB ALLEN MOON

This big guy just so happens to be my handsome oldest brother.

When I think of Jake I think of...

his gorgeous and totally awesome wife.

his beautiful baby boy.

how he can basically do anything.

his fantastic fashion sense.

how everyone loves him.

and how he's always taken care of all of us.

I remember things like:

The billions of basketball games I have attended over the years (all of which he dominated on the court).

Us singin' our hearts out (in the car...kitchen...anywhere really...).

His best ever birthday fiestas (carne asada...divine).

Me crying during my speech at his wedding dinner (and me also admitting he was my favorite).

Him telling my mom and I after the first time he met Michelle that he was gonna marry her (which he did).

Watching him hold his baby boy for the first time (I totally cried then too).

(oh and he also cleaned up after me when I threw up just an hour after Britton was born {in Michelle's hospital bathroom}).

Being bummed when he moved to Texas...

But realizing he'll always be there and when he comes back nothing has changed one bit.

Everyone should be jealous that I get to have him in my family :)

Jakey...

I hope your day was full.

of love.

of goodness.

and of awesomeness too.

I love you big brother. Thanks for being born into my family.

I'm 20.

I can't believe I just finished my second year of college. And he's about to graduate from high school.

We're gettin' so old.

baba.

hahahahaha.

CUTEST.

THING.

EVERRRR.

and he's comin' to see me.

ON THE 20TH of THIS MONTH! Hallelujah!

Can't wait to see Jake, Michelle or Britton.

I miss them...how could I not miss a face that cute??

Oh and when he comes, we're goin' to the ZOO. (for my bday of course!)

our deepest fear.

I got home today and found a note and the quote below that my mom had left for me on the counter.

She's the greatest.

Ever.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated form our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

-Maryanne Williamson

(quoted by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech)

sweetheart.

today is my grandpa's birthday.

he died when I was six.

I feel lucky I had six years to know someone like him.

I feel lucky I still remember bits and pieces of who he was.

if it were possible, I would tell everyone I could about how wonderful in every way he was.

but I'm not sure it is.

he was a surgeon.

he loved motorcycles

diet pepsi

and his grandchildren.

grandpa,

thanks for showing me how to love people. for letting me be your nurse when you were on call. for explaining to me what the benches at cemeteries are for. for covering my eyes with your giant hand when you took us for flu shots. for rubbing off on my brother jake. for raising my mom. for letting me be your sweetheart. for the memories I can still see in my mind. and for never leaving my heart.